Chapter 44: The Roast Battle Bigger Then The Void Century
The Thousand Sunny glided smoothly across the open sea, the sound of the waves soothing after the chaos they had left behind on Charicard. The Straw Hats were gathered on the main deck, enjoying a moment of calm before their next adventure. Kikidori was sitting on the figurehead, polishing his sword, while Raiko leaned against the mast with an air of arrogance, his arms crossed.
"You know, Kikidori," Raiko began, breaking the peaceful silence, "I've been thinking. Your mom must've been *real* dumb to get herself killed by a giant."
The crew collectively gasped.
Ere'ana froze mid-step, her tray of drinks wobbling precariously. Sanji nearly dropped the food he was carrying, while Zoro raised an eyebrow, curious to see how Kikidori would respond. Even Robin, usually unbothered by their antics, closed her book to pay attention.
Kikidori slowly turned his head, his slitted eyes narrowing as a venomous smirk spread across his face. "Oh, so we're doing *this* now, huh?"
Raiko shrugged nonchalantly. "Just stating facts."
Kikidori hopped down from the figurehead, brushing off his coat. "Alright then, Raiko. You want to talk about moms? Let's talk about yours."
Raiko blinked, confused. "What about my—"
"That's why *your* mom so fat, she had a play date with Big Mom and Kaido!" Kikidori shot back, his voice dripping with mockery.
The entire deck exploded in laughter.
"OH MY GOD!" Usopp shouted, falling to his knees. "He went there!"
"Big Mom *and* Kaido?" Nami wheezed, clutching her stomach.
Sanji tried to hold back his laughter but failed miserably, while Chopper rolled on the floor, tears streaming down his face. Even Zoro couldn't suppress a small smirk.
Raiko's jaw dropped, his face turning red with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "Tch… That's not even funny," he muttered, trying to regain his composure.
But Kikidori wasn't done. He leaned in closer, his smirk widening. "What's wrong, Raiko? Jealous that I'm a yonko and you're not?"
Raiko scoffed, crossing his arms. "Please. I don't care about that. But you're jealous that *I'm* more handsome than you."
The laughter died down as the crew waited for Kikidori's response.
He tilted his head, pretending to think, then grinned wickedly. "Damn, Raiko. You're more delusional than Sanji's dreams of Nami!"
The deck erupted again, even louder this time.
Sanji, caught in the crossfire, turned bright red. "OI! LEAVE ME OUT OF THIS!"
Luffy, who had been munching on a piece of meat, fell over laughing, tears streaming down his face. "Kikidori, you're savage!"
"More delusional than *Sanji's* dreams?!" Nami cackled, holding onto the railing for support. "That's brutal!"
Raiko glared at Kikidori, his fists clenched. "You think you're so clever, don't you?"
Kikidori shrugged, sheathing his sword with a flourish. "I don't think, Raiko. I *know*."
Ere'ana, trying to de-escalate the situation, stepped between them. "Alright, you two, that's enough. You're going to kill the crew from laughter at this rate."
Kikidori smirked but stepped back. "Fine, fine. I'll stop—for now. But next time, Raiko, maybe think twice before coming for me."
Raiko muttered something under his breath, but it was drowned out by the sound of Luffy laughing so hard he hiccupped.
Robin, who had been silently observing the chaos, chuckled softly and returned to her book. "Well, that was certainly entertaining," she remarked.
As the crew slowly calmed down, the tension between Kikidori and Raiko seemed to dissipate—at least for the moment. But everyone knew it was only a matter of time before their rivalry flared up again.
For now, though, the Thousand Sunny sailed on, filled with the sound of laughter and the lingering echoes of Kikidori's savage roasts.
End of Chapter 45
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